Return-ball.



JOHN P. NEWBOLD, OF CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY.

RE TURN-B ALL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented June 16, 1908.

Application filed March 26, 1907. Serial N 0. 364,629.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. N EWBOLD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cape May, in the county of Cape May and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in ReturnBalls, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a ball, in the nature of atoy, to be thrown or pitched by the player in such way that it willreturn toward the player, and hence, I lgaliie designated my invention areturn In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, in theseveral figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1illustrates the ball in the hand of a player in one position in which itmay be eld, and the upper dottedline indicates the path of movement ofthe ball when tossed from the hand, and the lower dotted line representssubstantially the path of movement of the return. Fig. 2 is an elevationof one form of ball. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a ball of the sameshape as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but made hollow.

The ball 1 has different diameters in different planes of section, theportions arranged upon opposite sides of a plane which is coincidentwith their bases being convex, and said plane containing the greatestdiameters. The ball is composed of two such convex portions, designatedrespectively 2 and 3, and these portions are conoidal and their basesare coincident and form the circumferentially projecting portion 4 ofgreatest diameters. The circumferentially projecting portion is thesalient feature in effecting automatically the return of the ball, byarresting its flight away from the player when it comes in contact witha solid substance, as

a avement, and as illustrated substantia ly in Fig.- 1.

The ball is tossed away from th layer with more or less force, and in apath substantially such as indicated by the upper dotted which mighthave a tendency to guide the will be arrested and its impetus convertedinto a return movement, such impetus being aided by the resiliency ofthe ball.

The ballmay be made of pure rubber, or rubber'composition, clay,celluloid, vegetable ivory, or any other of a variety of wellknownsubstances of greater or less elasticity or resilience, and either solidor hollow.

It will be seen that the zone or portion 2 is smaller than the portion3, and, consequently, there will be an overbalance in the portlon 3,

ball in casting it, so. as to cause it to alight on or near the portion4 and atan inclination to effect the return. But'the portions 2'and 3'may be of equal size and weight. However, my present experience is thatthe'best results are obtained with a ball of substantially the outline,contour, construction, and configuration shown in the drawings, and yetI do not wish to be understood as so limiting the invention. I

. As already sufliciently indicated, the ball is a toy, and thefascination in its use, when skill in tossing or pitching it isacquired, consists in its return to the player after being cast fromhim.

What I claim is i A return ball, of elastic material, having differentdiameters in difl erent planes of section, the portions on oppositesides of the plane of greatest diameters being conoidal, their baseslying in said plane. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of March,A. D. 1907.

JOHN P. NEWBOLD.

Witnesses:

HENRY J. NELSON, Oseoon WELsH, "VIOLET P. WELSH.

